Monday, April 18, 2016

Our blog is usually written by me - but this time, Mr. Michael Campbell has taken to the keyboard to reflect on our journey so far...

We left Seattle in July 2013 with the idea that we would be gone for a year. We downsized our belongings, severely cut our monthly expenses, and rented our house. We were free to travel to our hearts content for at least 12 months.

But, in fact we hedged our bets not knowing if we'd really like living a nomadic lifestyle and bought round trip tickets from Seattle to Paris and back returning home for Christmas that year.

Well, you can tell from the title of this blog that after putting our toe in the water for that first 6 months we took to this new lifestyle like a "fish to water"! Since then, we’ve only returned to Seattle twice.

We were excited to receive French travel visas that allowed us to travel freely in the Schengen Zone for one year.

Sometimes it is hard to believe that we are still living out of two suitcases almost three years later. In fact last week we celebrated a 1,000 days as Senior Nomads - and now we are truly homeless because last summer we sold our house! Now home is the Airbnb we live in wherever we are at the moment.

In sunny Girona, Spain on day 1010!

In addition to celebrating 1,000 days on the road, we are also living in our 100th Airbnb! Here's the link: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6229018. We are in the charming Spanish city of Girona about 60 miles north of Barcelona near the French border. Along the way we've explored 47 countries - tomorrow, we head to the tiny country of Andorra and that will bring us to number 48. We’ve been to139 cities, taken 46 Free Walking Tours, we've had 40 different phone numbers, and have made more friends than we can count.

To get to all these places we have ridden on almost every form of public transportation you can imagine: trains, planes, buses, minivans, ferry boats, Coco taxis (in Havana) and a horse a horse drawn cart. We have also walked our fair share of miles, which we now track in kilometers. We did the math and we’ve walked the equivalent of hiking from Seattle to Washington DC. Whew!

Arriving in Bucharest with all we need to get by stuffed into 2 suitcases and 2 day packs.

We continue, on average to read a book a week and our Kindles still perform flawlessly as we download books from Amazon as well as borrowing e-books from the Seattle Public Library. Who knew at you could log into your library account from anywhere on earth and download a new book in a matter of seconds? We can also stream KUOW and KING FM anywhere we happen to be. And of course, we use FaceTime, Skype and Google Hangout to stay connected with friends and family.

Seattle's famous librarian, Nancy Pearl is a great source for book selections. Did you know she was an action figure !? http://mcphee.com/shop/librarian-action-figure.html

On evenings when we are not at a free event, reading, or Debbie’s not cooking, you’ll often find us playing one of our three favorite games: Scrabble, dominoes and backgammon. Our best guess is that we’ve probably racked-up over 400 combined games. Although we have not kept track of who won every game in our daily journal, we’ve both known victory and defeat while laughing and learning along the way. Note: 2 letter words in Scrabble are the keys to success (especially ZA, QI, XU and XI).

Playing "Games" is a big part of our Nomad lifestyle.

Along the way we have celebrated holidays, birthdays and even a few wedding anniversaries. Last fall, we tallied 37 years since we were married in Epiphany church in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle in 1978. I just checked and we should have received alabaster gifts for that one but I don’t recall receiving any, but that’s okay, I am sure they would be too heavy to take with us. If we can make it all the way to October maybe someone will shower us with Beryl and Tourmaline... whatever they are.

I hope Debbie is willing to make it to 38!

Back on day 500 we shared our credo in the Senior Nomads blog:"We will keep doing this as long as we haven't run out of money, stopped having fun, stopped learning, fallen out of love, or fallen over and can't get up".

Looking back, we concluded that blog post with this comment: “So far so good!” We are happy to say that now, almost three years into our adventure, we feel incredibly blessed to once again say, “So far so good!”

The only advice we would give to anyone thinking of striking out as Senior Nomads would be sure you are traveling with your best friend. And bring your own pillows.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Cuba has been in the news almost daily these past few weeks - especially with the Obama family visit. Our hosts in Havana whom I introduced in the Cuba Connection II blog were thrilled to meet President Obama at a conference for Cuban Entrepreneurs. That same week they attended the Rolling Stones Concert!

Our amazing Havana hosts Julia and Silvio

Our three weeks in Cuba were fascinating, fun and often times frustrating. We experienced firsthand the lack of
infrastructure the country needs to support itself, let alone support what is certain to be an overwhelming surge in
tourism from America. A recent New York Times article, passed on by a friend, really summarizes the situation: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/world/americas/americans-rush-to-cuba-overloading-services.html As the article states, there are monumental changes underway but even as those lofty goals are met, the results won't spoil Cuba's bohemian charm in the short run. First of all, there isn't enough paint. Or asphalt. So you can wait to travel until there is functioning airport, food in restaurants, stores with products, and access to the Internet and still see "Cuba before it changes", but if you are adventuresome, flexible, willing to forgo some creature comforts and keep an open mind, go now - just bring your own snacks!

The people we met in Cuba were wonderful and loved to talk about life in their country.

We finished our trip with short stays in Cienfuegos and Guanabo. Our Airbnb in Cienfuegos was one that we kept going back to during our search, but set it aside several times. Maybe it was the reference in the reviews of loud music until 4:00 am and maniacal crowing roosters. But in the end, the lure of the Italian host's home cooking lured us and we booked it. We were glad we did. Here's the link https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5877529

The view from the front porch of Casa Babi in Cienfuegos

The once glamorous yacht club was a short walk down the road from our Airbnb.

Two large boats in the marina in very different condition!

Our room was fine and the location was good. The front porch with the advertised rocking chairs looking across the road to the waterfront and lovely sunsets were spot on. Once you crossed the road, a yacht club and marina full of colorful boats was to the left and the bustling city center was to the right - both pleasant, twenty minute walks in either direction. And yes, there was loud music one night, and yes the roosters in Cuba have no concept of when the sun actually rises (isn't that when they are suppose to crow?) so like howling dogs, once one puffed-up cockarel gets going any rooster nearby crows right back - and so it went all night. We got used to it.

Three things on offer: beer, Mojitos and meat on a stick - plus some great music.

These two human blenders were working hard to keep up with the demand!

Our host Babi offered a full breakfast and we enjoyed "Cubitalian" food for dinner. We also found a popular seaside restaurant where the Mojitos were flowing, the only food on offer was skewered (and delicious) and the music was live. But still, at least for me, I felt we were "perching" here and I wasn't fully engaged in this city. I needed a beach and I knew it was just a few days away!

We started looking at options to reach our next and final destination of Guanabo - a popular, but sleepy little beach town east of Havana. After crunching the numbers it was a decision between taking a three hour taxi ride or a bus that would have dropped us into the center of Havana. We'd still have to take a taxi to Guanabo from there. In the end it was about push for the budget, so we indulged in being driven door to door. Our driver took a scenic route that had us winding through small villages and sugar cane fields that we wouldn't have seen along the main highway. He spoke a little English, but mostly we enjoyed the ride along with great hits from the 80's.

Our wonderful hosts Silvia and Evelio in Guanabo. There were so gracious.

We pulled up to our final Airbnb and were greeted by Evelio and Silvia - it was like showing up at your grandparents house! They were gracious and friendly and very "house proud." They loved showing us all the special things we’d find in our apartment and took painstaking efforts to make sure we had everything we needed. Here's the link: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6103520

Just one of the beautiful fruit plates that Silvia created each day.

Not so lucky in Cienfuegos - do not eat the centerpiece!

Silvia loves to create original needlepoint tapestries and we had
several on our walls. She also turns out a very artistic plate of food -
our daily breakfast started with a mosaic of colorful tropical fruits
including bananas from the backyard. I had no idea bananas could have such intense
flavor! Evilio and Michael spend some lovely time together sitting on
the front porch discussing politics. It was interesting to get a
perspective from a man in his 70's who has seen Cuba from before, during
and after the revolution.

Michael and Evilio are about the same age and enjoyed swapping stories and talking politics.

This quiet seaside town is just 20 miles from Havana, but seemed a world away. The area is famous for the Playa de L'Est beaches - where the city folk flock in the summer. There are a few resorts and a large casino down the road from where we were, but our little slice of beach was uncrowded and postcard perfect. Perhaps we had it all to ourselves because it was February - but being from Seattle, and a Pisces, there is no salt water that doesn't call my name any time of year, so I finally got my bracing swim in the sea.

We found a couple of lounge chairs and an umbrella and settled-in for the day.

Another benefit of Guanabo is there is enough tourist traffic to support some good restaurants! We found three we liked and finally enjoyed eating out. We even had really good burgers and milkshakes one night.

More skewered pork! Vertical this time - and delicious.

Great milkshakes including a smuggled Oreo in Michael's

On the day before we left an intense storm blew in and huge waves pummeled the shore, sweeping inland to the edge of the main road. Our Airbnb was just a block away from the beach so we could hear it as it bore down all through the night.

Beautiful little blue meanies!

The next morning we walked down to see the aftermath. The sun was out, the air was fresh, and although the sea was still churning it seemed to be over its tantrum. As we walked along the beach we discovered thousands of brightly colored blue disks about the size of large mussels washed up on the sand. In fact, I thought they were mussels, but on closer examination they looked more like deflated balloons although many of them were still puffed up with air. If you stepped on one it made a sharp snapping noise like popping a cell of large bubble wrap. I was wearing beach shoes that enclosed my feet so I am afraid I did pop quite a few for fun (they were doomed anyway). I was mesmerized by their iridescent color and shape so I picked several up to get a closer look. I could see tentacles so I knew they were a type of jellyfish and I probably ought not to touch those...

Fun to pop but not to touch! I was lucky I didn't end up in the ER.

When we got back to our house I asked our host about them. And he turned a little pale when he heard that I had handled them. "Those are very, very dangerous!" he sputtered. "You would have ended up in the hospital if you had been stung!" Apparently these beautiful blue creatures are a smaller version of the highly toxic Portuguese Man o' War jellyfish. Although it is rare, they do wash up on the beach after big winter storms. The locals stay away until they are all washed back to sea. I guess I thank my beach shoes for saving me from testing the Cuban medical system - although I hear it is very good!

Our final day with Silvia, Evelio and there little puppy Rikki.

Our stay in this small bungalow on the beach with such warm hosts was the perfect bookend to the beginning of our trip when we stayed with our now dear friends in Havana at their lovely Casa La Rosa de Ortega. Here's that link again: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5704246
As we were leaving Evilio confessed he had been nervous about hosting "the famous Senior Nomads" in his humble home but he assured us that we were definitely not the demanding Americans he was expecting "we were normal people." Well, that's good to know.

We waved goodbye to Cuba from Havana and flew back to Miami. I have to say, it felt good to be back in the USA. As it turned out, my boss from one of my very first jobs in advertising lives in Miami so we were able to connect for the afternoon before we fly on to our next destination. Kay Coulter and her husband Al treated us to a lavish lunch at the Lido restaurant at the Standard Hotel and Spa - a glittering white complex nestled in a huge garden retreat with multiple pools and spa rooms on Biscayne Bay. It was a serious re-entry culture shock. https://www.standardhotels.com/spa-miami-beach/spa

Back to living the good life with Kay and her husband Al at the Lido restaurant in Miami.

We had a wonderful afternoon together and enjoyed catching up on presidential politics along with filling in the 30 years between the last time we saw each other. It was hard to imagine as we sat among the rich and tanned, watching mega yachts drift by, that just 90 miles away people are scavenging for food every day.

Hoping for peace and harmony between America and Cuba!

Our prayers are for a harmonious renewal of trust and friendship between America and Cuba that will allow for some much overdue prosperity for our delightful island neighbor just to the south.

Friday, April 1, 2016

Hello readers. A couple of weeks ago we had a call from Airbnb telling us Conde Nast Traveler magazine was interested in our story. We had a really enjoyable hour-long interview with Mark Ellwood, a renowned journalist "British-born, New York-based Mark Ellwood is a journalist who specializes in writing smartly about stupid things." Perfect for us. He did a masterful job of taking our ramblings and creating a really special story that we wanted to share since it is hot off the press! Here's the link: